Take-Two Boss Says ‘Former Rockstar Employees’ Have Tried to Match GTA’s Success and Failed — and We All Know Which Game He’s Talking About
Strauss Zelnick, Chief Executive Officer of Take-Two Interactive (the publisher behind Grand Theft Auto 6), has commented on the inherent difficulties of creating blockbuster video games. His remarks appear to specifically reference MindsEye, the debut title from Build a Rocket Boy, which launched in 2025 as a notable commercial and critical failure.
Build a Rocket Boy was founded by Leslie Benzies, a veteran developer who spent years at Rockstar Games working on the Grand Theft Auto franchise. The studio’s first project, MindsEye, underwent an extended development period driven by ambitious metaverse aspirations. Despite these high expectations and significant resources, the game launched to overwhelmingly negative reception and poor sales, becoming one of 2025’s worst-reviewed releases and prompting hundreds of layoffs at the studio.
Zelnick’s commentary illustrates a key lesson within the gaming industry: experienced developers and former successful creators do not automatically guarantee hit games. His remarks underscore the inherent unpredictability of game development, emphasizing that even seasoned Rockstar veterans attempting to replicate the success of their previous work can encounter substantial commercial and critical failure.